Presbyterian Church votes to divest in protest of Israeli policies

The Presbyterian Church has narrowly voted to move forward with divestment in various companies in protest of Israeli policies toward Palestinians. The group has now become the most prominent in the US to endorse some form of divestment.

The top US policymaking body for the Presbyterian denomination
has opted to sell its stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and
Motorola Solutions by a vote of 310 to 303, ratifying a move that
had failed two years prior. All three companies have been
identified as making products used by Israel in the occupied
Palestinian territories.

During the General Assembly’s vote Caterpillar was identified as
having provided the IDF with equipment used to demolish homes in
the West Bank, as well as used in the construction of Israeli
settler-only roads in the territory, reported Daily Kos. Meanwhile, Motorola was
linked to surveillance systems used by Israeli settlements, while
HP has provided biometric scanning technology used on
Palestinians at checkpoints.

Though Friday’s vote suggests that the divestment movement may be
making inroads into mainstream groups, even those who advocated
for divestment by the Presbyterians insisted they were not linked
to the broader BDS push -- or boycott, divestment and sanctions
against Israel.

Frank Allen of the Central Florida Presbytery led an effort to
strike down the move for divestment, arguing that "divestment
is not a good tool for peace-making," and would alienate
Presbyterians from the Jewish community.

“Divestment will create dissension. Dialogue and relationship
building will lay the ground work for true peace," said
Allen.

The measure adopted by the Presbyterian Church meanwhile
reaffirmed Israel’s right to exist. Prior to Friday’s vote, PC
(USA) distanced itself from a publication by its Israel/Palestine
Mission entitled “Zionism Unsettled,” which criticizes
the ideological basis of Zionism and emphasizes human rights
abuses. Jewish leaders have branded that publication as
anti-Semitic. In response, PC (USA) voted for a resolution
stating that the paper did not represent the wider views of the
denomination.

The vote itself is considered to be largely symbolic, as the
Presbyterian holdings in all three companies is estimated at $21
million and does not represent a significant financial impact.

Still, the narrow vote in favor of divestment was made in spite
of a concerted effort by the largest American Jewish
organizations. According to the New York Times, more than 1,700 rabbis
from all 50 states had signed an open letter to sway Presbyterian
voters, stating that “placing all the blame on one party,
when both bear responsibility, increases conflict and division
instead of promoting peace.”

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the leader of the Jewish Reform movement, had
also offered to broker a meeting between top Presbyterian leaders
and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so they could voice
their concerns regarding territorial occupation, but only if
divestment was discarded.

For its part, Motorola Solutions has said that it complies with
the law and its own internal policies on human rights.
Hewlett-Packard responded by stating that its involvement in
checkpoints for Palestinians were developed to allow passage
“in a secure environment, enabling people to get to their
place of work or to carry out their business in a faster and
safer way.” Caterpillar, meanwhile, has previously stated
that it sells its equipment directly to the US government.